Surf Securely, Wherever You May Be

The internet can seem like a hostile place, full of hackers and online thieves who would like nothing more than to disappear with your credit card details or infect your computer with the latest frustrating virus. Just accessing the internet in the first place puts you in danger of encountering these shady characters, even if you’re only doing so to play Words With Friends on Facebook or check the local news. Fortunately, there are ways to safe securely, wherever you may be.

Why do I need to surf securely?

A lot of your personal and sensitive information is stored in online databases – such as shopping websites or the profiles you create to find work, friends or potential life partners – or on your computer itself. It sits there, ripe for the picking for a talented hacker. Even if you make sure to never visit a website that you believe might be at risk, all a hacker needs is a small opportunity to gain access. Once they have, all they need to do is gather your information and either use it for their own nefarious purposes or sell it to the highest bidder. Now, more than ever, it’s vital to protect yourself by surfing securely, wherever you may be.

What puts me at risk?

The simple answer to that question is: anything and everything. One of your most valuable virtual possessions is your IP address because it can give a hacker a whole lot more information than you ever thought possible. Most crucially, it can pinpoint your precise location. These days, we don’t just access the internet from the privacy of our homes, either: you almost certainly access the web from the office, use computers belonging to friends and family and, most importantly, access public wi-fi hotspots to check your bank balance and keep up with LinkedIn. If you use a public wi-fi hotspot, however, you are at risk from plug-ins that allow anyone on the network to see anything you are doing. Which, of course, means they can watch as you type in your passwords…

How can I surf securely, wherever I may be?

Although this paints a dismal picture of the internet, all is not lost – there are ways to protect yourself and surf securely, whether you are at home or out in the world at large. A Virtual Private Network, more commonly known as a VPN, can give you secure access to the internet from any location or device by creating a private link that’s almost impossible for a hacker to infiltrate. By using a VPN, you can use even a public connection to visit websites and make sure that no hacker or thief is looking over your shoulder as you do so. Used as part of an overall security package that also includes protection such as firewalls and virus checkers, a VPN will help you surf securely, from any location.